- US duo win Nobel for gene regulation breakthrough
- Masood hits first ton for four years to power Pakistan to 233-1
- Fritz wins delayed match to reach Shanghai Masters third round
- Naomi Osaka pulls out of Japan Open with back injury
- Weather may delay launch of mission to study deflected asteroid
- China to flesh out economic stimulus plans after bumper rally
- Artist Marina Abramovic hopes first China show offers tech respite
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on US jobs data
- Pakistan 122-1 at lunch in first England Test
- Kazakhs approve plan for first nuclear power plant
- World marks anniversary of Oct. 7 attack on Israel
- 'Second family': tennis stars hunt winning formula with new coaches
- Philippines, South Korea agree to deepen maritime cooperation
- Mexico mayor murdered days after taking office
- Sardinia's sheep farmers battle bluetongue as climate warms
- Japan govt admits doctoring 'untidy' cabinet photo
- Israel marks first anniversary of Hamas's October 7 attack
- Darvish tames Ohtani as Padres thrash Dodgers
- Asian markets track Wall St rally on jobs data
- Family affair as LeBron, Bronny James make Lakers bow
- Cancer, cardiovascular drugs tipped for Nobel as prize week opens
- As Great Salt Lake dries, Utah Republicans pardon Trump climate skepticism
- Amazon activist warns of 'critical situation' ahead of UN forum
- Mourners pay tribute to latest victims of deadly Channel crossing
- Tunisia incumbent Saied set to win presidential vote: exit polls
- Phillies win thriller to level Mets series
- Yu bags first PGA Tour win with playoff win
- PSG held by Nice to leave Monaco clear at top of Ligue 1
- AC Milan fall at Fiorentina after De Gea's penalty heroics
- Lewandowski treble for leaders Barca as Atletico held
- Fresh Israeli strikes hit south Beirut
- Sucic stunner earns Real Sociedad draw against Atletico
- PSG draw with Nice, fail to reclaim top spot in Ligue 1
- Gudmundsson downs AC Milan after De Gea's penalty heroics for Fiorentina
- 'Yes' vote prevails in Kazakhstan nuclear plant vote: TV
- 'Difficult day': Oct 7 commemorations begin with festival memorial
- Commemorations begin for anniversary of attack on Israel
- Lewandowski hat-trick powers Liga leaders Barca to Alaves victory
- 'Nothing gets in way of team,' says Celtics' MVP hopeful Tatum
- India maintain Pakistan stranglehold as Windies cruise at Women's T20 World Cup
- 'We will win!': Mozambique's ruling party confident at final vote rally
- Tunisia voting ends as Saied eyes re-election with critics behind bars
- Florida braces for Milton, FEMA head slams 'dangerous' Helene misinformation
- Postecoglou slams 'unacceptable' Spurs after 'terrible' loss at Brighton
- Marmoush double denies Bayern outright Bundesliga top spot
- Rallies worldwide call for Gaza, Lebanon ceasefire
- Maresca hails Chelsea's 'fighting' spirit after draw with 10-man Forest
- New 'Joker' film, a dark musical, tops N.America box office
- Man Utd stalemate keeps Ten Hag in danger, Spurs rocked by Brighton
- Drowned by hurricane, remote N.Carolina towns now struggle for water
Equity markets mixed as nervous traders navigate volatility
Asian stocks were mixed Thursday after a sell-off on Wall Street, with analysts warning the volatility that has roiled markets this week still has some time to run as traders fret over the global economy.
Data last Friday showing that fewer US jobs than expected were created in July continues to reverberate as it fanned fears that the world's top economy was heading for recession.
While a soft labour market reading would usually have been taken as a positive, giving more ammunition for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates, investors are beginning to fear it shows the central bank may have waited too long to move.
Weak earnings from Disney, Airbnb and TripAdvisor added to the sense of concern that American consumers were tightening their belts as the impact of elevated inflation and two-decade-high borrowing costs bite.
Fed boss Jerome Powell last week indicated officials could cut at its September meeting, with 25 basis points seen as the likely move, but traders are now eyeing as many as 50 points, with another 50 possibly before the end of the year.
But the prospect of several reductions has been offset by a risk-off mood, which has been exacerbated by profit-taking in the tech sector, which has soared this year on the back of a rush for all things related to artificial intelligence.
All three main indexes on Wall Street ended in the red, having given up big gains at the start of the day, with a poorly received US Treasury bond auction adding to the downbeat mood.
And Asia followed suit in the morning, having bounced back over the previous two days from Monday's collapse, though some managed to stage a comeback as the day wore on.
Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila, Mumbai and Bangkok rose while Shanghai was marginally higher. Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Wellington, Taipei and Jakarta were in the red.
London, Paris and Frankfurt opened lower.
Analyst Stephen Innes warned the rollercoaster ride for markets might not yet be over.
"The potential for a broader U.S. economic slowdown, misaligned global monetary policies, and the bubbling geopolitical tensions in the Middle East cast long, ominous shadows across financial markets," he wrote in his Dark Side Of The Boom newsletter.
"Furthermore, the US political election looms, potentially turning the markets into more of a chaotic mosh pit than a graceful waltz."
However, Rania Gule at XS.com said the losses in Wall Street "might have been mere corrections in a stock market that hit record highs this year, partly due to the hype around artificial intelligence technology, with prices having risen too rapidly and excessively relative to corporate earnings".
"The only way stocks might seem less expensive is either through lower prices or increased earnings. With high expectations for earnings growth, this could support a rebound in markets worldwide."
The yen edged back up against the dollar after tumbling Wednesday in reaction to a dovish signal from the Bank of Japan that it will not further hike interest rates again -- having lifted last week for the first time in 17 years -- while markets remain volatile.
The BoJ's decision to hike rates last week, hours before the Fed hinted at its September cut, sent the Japanese unit surging, just weeks after it hit a nearly four-decade low.
Analysts said the move had sparked a massive reversal of the "carry trade" in which traders took advantage of the weaker currency to buy higher-yielding assets such as equities.
Still, Stefan Angrick at Moody's Analytics saw the BoJ sticking to its monetary tightening.
"We and the consensus now expect the BoJ to hike rates once more this year and again next year, which will lead to further yen appreciation and lower prices for Japanese equities," he told AFP.
"Yen trading still looks a bit speculative, but that should fade as rates in Japan go up while rates in the US go down.
"Although we don’t expect the BoJ to change course, it’s a distinct possibility. The BoJ was forced to reverse course after past rate hikes, so it wouldn’t be the first time."
- Key figures around 0710 GMT -
Tokyo - Nikkei 225: DOWN 0.7 percent at 34,831.15 (close)
Hong Kong - Hang Seng Index: UP 0.4 percent at 16,941.90
Shanghai - Composite: FLAT at 2,869.90 (close)
London - FTSE 100: DOWN 0.9 percent at 8,097.13
Dollar/yen: DOWN at 146.17 yen from 146.83 yen on Wednesday
Euro/dollar: UP at $1.0940 from $1.0925
Pound/dollar: UP at $1.27. 05 from $1.2692
Euro/pound: UP at 86.09 pence from 86.06 pence
West Texas Intermediate: DOWN 0.1 percent at $75.17 per barrel
Brent North Sea Crude: DOWN 0.2 percent at $78.13 per barrel
New York - Dow: DOWN 0.6 percent at 38,763.45 (close)
M.Fischer--AMWN